A year into his job of running Kansas, Gov. Sam Brownback appears to be moving away from strict ideology and toward practicality on some topics. If so, that’s a good thing for all Kansans.

In a wide-ranging discussion with The Star’s editorial board, Brownback discussed what went right and wrong in 2011, and his hopes for 2012. The biggest difference between what he was saying now and a year ago was as much about tone as content.

On what looms as among the most difficult and important legislative issues of the coming session — a revision to the school funding formula — Brownback said he’s put his proposal out, but is “wide open to whatever others think ought to take place.”

The goal, he says, is to get school funding issues out of the courts and into the Legislature, where they belong. He is right about that, although it means meeting court requirements on adequate and equitable funding.

On finding a solution to a border war that has seen Kansas — and, to a lesser extent, Missouri — use tax incentives to tug companies back and forth across the state line, Brownback waffled. But he did suggest that the historic importance of Kansas City to Kansas, as a gateway and economic engine, means it would be in his best interest to work with local and Missouri leaders to help make this region a world leader in agriculture and agribusiness.

The governor even identified 20 acres in the West Bottoms, which he recently learned were part of his state, that might be a good place to work on such a joint project.

While earlier this year he was discussing the advantages of eliminating Kansas’ income tax — drawing comparisons to no-income-tax-states such as Florida and Texas — the governor is now proposing what he calls an “almost revenue-neutral” reduction of the state income tax, complete with the elimination of loopholes to make it a “fairer, simpler, flatter tax.”

But, even in this, he acknowledged the revenue coming from individual state income tax accounts for 46 percent of general fund income and is necessary to fund state government. Reductions, he made clear, should only begin after the state is on firmer financial footing. This is a responsible and smart approach and protects services Kansans rely upon.

The governor also noted that while he still thinks his idea for a private state arts foundation is more responsible in tight fiscal times, the practical reality is that it hasn’t worked. He acknowledged that those paying the highest price are rural citizens, who have few arts options.

The solution here is obvious: return to a state arts commission, which would make Kansas again eligible for federal arts funding and help bring community theater, visual arts exhibits and music to the entire state. And it should be said that Brownback’s suggestion to initiate a Prairie Arts Festival to run along with the Kansas City Symphony Flint Hills performance is intriguing.

Brownback stuck with his endorsement of Texas Gov. Rick Perry for the GOP presidential nomination, though he acknowledged that “I didn’t know what kind of debater he was.”

He was less loyal to his controversial and soon-to-be-departed Social and Rehabilitation Services secretary.

Rob Siedlecki had trouble grasping the “style and way of doing things in the Midwest,” the governor said.

The bottom line is that it appears Brownback is relearning a central lesson of American governance — ideology is best left in Washington, D.C.

Out here, the focus has to be in identifying and providing what citizens need to make a better state.